Search Results (162)

Purpose: This in vitro study ascertained the impact of three distinct alumina particle sizes on the shear bond strength (SBS) between two distinct provisional crowns (milled and 3D-printed) and stainless-steel orthodontic brackets following artificial aging. Materials and methods: Eighty specimens [disc 10 mm diameter/15 mm height] were fabricated with two provisional crown materials, milled (CopraTemp) [group (GP) M] and three-dimensionally printed (Asiga DentaTooth) (GP P), and divided into eight subgroups based on alumina oxide (sandblasting) particle size surface treatments of 25 μm [P25, M25], 50 μm [P50, M50], and 100 μm [P100, M100], with no surface treatment specimens serving as control [PC, MC]. After thermocycling (2200 cycles), the SBS and Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) were calculated. Statistical tests included one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (Kruskal–Wallis), followed by post hoc tests [Tukey HSD, Dunn’s], with the probability ‘p’ value being significant at 0.05 (p ≤ 0.05). Results: Without surface treatment, the 3D-printed provisional crown had the lowest SBS [median (IQR); 12.8 (2.74)]. The highest SBS was found in both milled and 3D-printed PMs with 50-micron particle sizes [Milled = 23.10 (2.3); Printed = 20.72 (2.31)], followed by 100-micron [Milled = 20 (2.36); Printed = 17.99 (3.45)] and 25-micron [Milled = 16.13 (2.71); Printed = 15.08 (1.55)]. The majority of cohesive failures were seen in the milled subgroups, while all subgroups of 3D-printed provisional material had adhesive bond failures. Conclusions: Sandblasting, irrespective of particle size, enhances SBS in both milled and 3D-printed provisional restorations; however, 50-micron alumina particles are recommended since they enhance SBS substantially. Full article

Traditional acoustic seabed classification methods, which are often sensitive to survey geometry and environmental conditions, have limitations in reliability and reproducibility. This study presents a novel physics-guided machine learning framework for automated sediment classification that leverages frequency-dependent acoustic reflection spectra. The framework, tested on two representative sediment types of poorly graded sand (SP) and poorly graded gravel (GP) in controlled laboratory conditions across a frequency range of 100–400 kHz, corrects water-column attenuation and isolates intrinsic sediment responses. Unlike earlier studies that focused solely on attenuation modeling or demonstrated spectral separability without statistical validation, this study embeds physics-guided corrections into a machine-learning pipeline, enabling automated, statistically validated sediment discrimination. Reflection spectra were acquired from 200 samples (100 per class) at 31 frequencies, forming a dataset for classifier evaluation. Random Forest (RF) and Logistic Regression (LR) were benchmarked under identical protocols. RF outperformed LR, achieving peak accuracy of 90% in optimal frequency windows (180–220, 310–350, and 330–370 kHz) and 84% across the full spectrum, compared to LR’s maxima of 82% and 80%. Feature importance revealed that discriminative bands align with wavelengths approximating grain sizes, indicating resonance-like mechanisms. The physics-guided approach demonstrated in this study offers reliable discrimination of sediments with similar grain sizes but different gradations, overcoming a limitation of intensity-only methods. The improved accuracy and interpretability of the classification results have significant implications for future marine survey methods, suggesting that the proposed framework could be a valuable tool for enhancing the efficiency and reliability of seabed characterization. Looking ahead, the potential practical applications of this research are significant, including field trials with autonomous sonar platforms and integration into remote sensing workflows. These applications will be essential to validate the robustness of the approach under real-world variability, paving the way for scalable, real-time seabed classification with implications for a wide range of marine research and applications. Full article

Objectives: To assess gastrointestinal permeability (GP) in children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) using a segment-specific sugar probe approach to assess gastric, small intestinal, and colonic permeability, and to determine whether GP alterations are associated with disease activity. Methods: This prospective study included 30 children with JIA and 22 healthy controls who underwent a validated multi-sugar absorption test. Urinary excretion of sucrose, lactulose, mannitol, and sucralose was measured to evaluate gastric, small intestinal, and colonic permeability. All JIA patients had discontinued immunosuppressive therapy for at least three months before testing. None had a relapse of the disease. Disease activity was assessed using the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score (JADAS10). Comparisons were conducted between patients and controls and between remission and active disease groups. Results: None of the participants reported gastrointestinal manifestations. The lactulose/mannitol (LA/MA) ratio, a global index of small intestinal permeability, showed no significant difference between JIA patients and controls, suggesting preserved overall barrier function. However, urinary excretion of lactulose, mannitol, and sucralose was significantly higher in JIA patients, while sucrose excretion was significantly lower, indicating segment-specific alterations in small intestinal, colonic, and gastric permeability. These abnormalities were consistently present, even in patients in clinical remission. No statistically significant differences were observed between remission and active disease groups, though a trend toward increased permeability was noted in the latter. Conclusions: Children with JIA exhibit segmental GP alterations that persist independently of clinical disease activity. Despite the relatively small population, this exploratory study suggests subclinical mucosal dysfunction and the need for further investigation into how the gut–joint axis may be playing a role in JIA pathogenesis, including via intestinal microbiota. Full article

This study investigated differences in running performance between starters and substitutes during their first 15 min of match play in professional football. The investigation was designed as a retrospective observational study. A time–motion analysis was conducted on one professional football team from the Swiss Challenge League during the 2023–2024 season. The first 15 min of players’ match participation were analyzed and divided into three 5 min periods. Running performance variables included total distance covered (TDC), high-speed running (HSR; 19.8–25.2 km·h⁻¹), and sprint distance (>25.2 km·h⁻¹) using GPS technology. Statistical analyses were performed using paired t-tests and repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc corrections. Starters covered significantly greater TDC than substitutes over the 15 min period (p = 0.002), driven by higher values in the 5–10 min and 10–15 min epochs (p = 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). No between-group differences were observed for HSR and sprint distance. Within-group analyses revealed a significant decline in TDC during the 10–15 min epoch compared with earlier intervals for both starters and substitutes (p < 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively). Substitutes also exhibited a reduction in distance covered at HSR after the initial 0–5 min period (p = 0.02). Starters face higher TDC demands than substitutes in the opening 15 min, although HSR and sprint distance remain stable. The results indicate that starters covered greater TDC than substitutes during the first 15 min of play; however, no significant differences were found in HSR and sprint distance between the two conditions. Full article

Background: The bonding compatibility between calcium silicate-based bioceramic cements and restorative materials is critical for long-term success in pediatric dentistry. This study compared the shear bond strength (SBS) of contemporary biointeractive restorative materials to two widely used bioceramics, NeoMTA Plus (NM) and Biodentine (BD). Methods: Eighty acrylic resin blocks with standardized cavities were filled with either NM or BD (n = 40 each) and subdivided into four restorative groups: nanohybrid composite (Filtek Ultimate), giomer (Beautifil II), bioactive restorative (Activa BioActive Restorative), and high-viscosity glass ionomer cement (Fuji IX GP Extra) (n = 10 each). All restorations followed a standardized etch-and-bond protocol. SBS was measured using a universal testing machine, and failure modes were assessed under a stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD (p < 0.05). Results: BD exhibited significantly higher SBS values than NM (p < 0.001). In the BD group, Filtek Ultimate and Beautifil II achieved the highest and statistically comparable SBS, outperforming Activa BioActive Restorative and Fuji IX GP Extra (p < 0.05). In the NM group, no significant differences were found among materials. Adhesive failures predominated in NM (85%), while BD showed more cohesive failures (50%). Conclusions: Biodentine demonstrated superior bonding stability to restorative materials, with composite resin and giomer performing best. Giomer’s bioactivity and ion release make it a viable alternative to composite resin in suitable clinical contexts. Full article

This paper presents a Vibration-based Track Anomaly Detection (VTAD) system designed for real-time monitoring of urban tram infrastructure. The novelty of VTAD is that it converts existing public transport vehicles into distributed mobile sensor platforms, eliminating the need for specialized diagnostic trains. The system integrates low-cost micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers, Global Positioning System (GPS) modules, and Espressif 32-bit microcontrollers (ESP32) with wireless data transmission via Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), enabling scalable and continuous condition monitoring. A stringent ±6σ statistical threshold was applied to vertical vibration signals, minimizing false alarms while preserving sensitivity to critical faults. Field tests conducted on multiple tram routes in Zagreb, Croatia, confirmed that the VTAD system can reliably detect and locate anomalies with meter-level accuracy, validated by repeated measurements. These results show that VTAD provides a cost-effective, scalable, and operationally validated predictive maintenance solution that supports integration into intelligent transportation systems and smart city infrastructure. Full article

Background and Objectives: Early Childhood Caries affect children’s quality of life and overall health. This study aimed to assess the involvement of dentists in implementing early preventive measures, including fluoride use, for children aged 6–33 months. Materials and Methods: a multiple-choice questionnaire was distributed in six German states, consisting of two sections: Section I covered participant demographics and Section II included items on dental preventive measures for children. The questionnaire was adapted from a validated German-language source, reviewed by five experts at Kiel University, and tested in a focus group of 30 dentists. Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD or median [IQR]) and Mann–Whitney U tests were used to assess pediatric dentists (PD) and general dentists (GP) involvement in early dental preventive measures. Results: A total of 511 eligible questionnaires were returned (mean age 47 ± 11 year, 63.8% females, 36.7% PD). Both GP and PD routinely recommended a diagnostic dental visit (1 = never, 5 = always), with PD reporting higher frequency (GP: 4 [3–5], PD: 4.5 [4–5]; p = 0.001). Parental training in oral hygiene was performed significantly more often by PD (p < 0.01). PD also recommended tooth brushing with fluoridated toothpaste after the eruption of the first tooth more frequently than GP (GP: 5 [3–5], PD: 5 [4–5]; p = 0.06). Surprisingly, fluoride-free toothpaste was still recommended by a relevant number of respondents in both groups. Conclusions: PDs showed greater involvement in early caries prevention than GP. While most recommended fluoridated toothpaste, many still advised fluoride-free options, highlighting gaps in guideline adherence. Full article

The continuously evolving cyber threat landscape necessitates not only resilient defense mechanisms but also the sustained capacity development of security personnel. However, conventional training pipelines are predominantly dependent on static real-world datasets, which fail to adequately reflect the diversity and dynamics of emerging attack tactics. To address these limitations, this study employs a Wasserstein GAN with Gradient Penalty (WGAN-GP) to synthesize realistic network traffic that preserves both temporal and statistical characteristics. Using the CIC-IDS-2017 dataset, which encompasses diverse attack scenarios including brute-force, Heartbleed, botnet, DoS/DDoS, web, and infiltration attacks, two training methodologies are proposed. The first trains a single conditional WGAN-GP on the entire dataset to capture the global distribution. The second employs multiple generators tailored to individual attack types, while sharing a discriminator pretrained on the complete traffic set, thereby ensuring consistent decision boundaries across classes. The quality of the generated traffic was evaluated using a Train on Synthetic, Test on Real (TSTR) protocol with LSTM and Random Forest classifiers, along with distribution similarity measures in the embedding space. The proposed approach achieved a classification accuracy of 97.88% and a Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) score of 3.05, surpassing baseline methods by more than one percentage point. These results demonstrate that the proposed synthetic traffic generation strategy provides advantages in scalability, diversity, and privacy, thereby enriching cyber range training scenarios and supporting the development of adaptive intrusion detection systems that generalize more effectively to evolving threats. Full article

Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that develops with age and is related to a decline in motor function. Studies suggest that the causes may be based on genetic dysfunction including PARK gene mutations and environmental factors. Methods: To explore those factors, we used multivariable logistic regression to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted ORs by using the All of Us Dataset which contains genomic, blood test, and other environmental data. Results: On Chromosome 12, there were 3709 candidate genetic polymorphisms (GPs) that are associated with PD. Of those GPs, fourteen GPs had high ORs which are similar to the OR of the PARK8 gene G2019S mutation. Of those 3709 GPs, a 2.00-fold change in OR was observed in five GPs located at bases 53,711,362 (OR = 4.86, 95% CI [1.46, 16.18]), 31,281,818 (OR = 4.37, 95% CI [1.02, 18.82]), 101,921,705 (OR = 5.38, 95% CI [1.23, 23.51]), 47,968,795 (OR = 7.82, 95% CI [1.81, 33.83]), and 112,791,809 (OR = 8.05, 95% CI [1.85, 35.05]) by calcium, Vitamin D, and alcohol intake and were statistically significant. Conclusions: The results suggest that the progression of some PD caused by certain GPs can be delayed or prevented by the environmental factors above. In February 2025, All of Us released the CT Dataset v.8 which has a 50% increase in the number of participants. Potentially, it may be possible to research more GPs and environmental factors. In future studies, we would like to explore other environmental factors and GPs on other chromosomes. It is believed that specific GPs may tailor current treatments and qualify patients for clinical trials. Additionally, genetic knowledge may help increase accuracy in clinical trials. Full article

Objectives: SailGP is an international professional mixed-sex sailing competition, which uses F50 foiling catamarans capable of reaching speeds up to ~100 km/h. This seminal study assesses injuries and illnesses observed by male and female sailors during trainings and competitions in SailGP’s third season. This study aims to assess injury and illness incidence, comparing results with other professional sailing events and high-performance sports. In addition, injury and illness risk factors (sex and position) will be explored with the goal to reduce morbidity for future seasons. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort design analysed medical records of male and female sailors during SailGP’s third season (April 2022 to May 2023). Risk factors assessed included sailor sex, sailor position (helm, strategist, grinder, flight controller and wing trimmer), sailing venue, wind speed and mechanism of injury/nature of illness. International Olympic Committee reporting guidelines on injuries and illnesses were followed, including the STROBE-SIIS checklist. Confidence intervals were set at 95%, statistical tests were two-sided and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 40 on-water injuries were reported in 32 athletes. Injury incidence was greater during competitions than trainings, with strategists and then grinders being the most frequently injured positions. Competition injury incidence was 32.6 per 1000 h and 6.42 injuries per 365 days. Training injury incidence was 2.62 injuries per 1000 h and 3.82 injuries per 365 days. Knee, ankle, hand and head injuries were most prevalent, with three concussions observed during trainings and competitions (two female and one male). Direct impacts and falls during manoeuvres caused most injuries. Overall injury incidence (IRR = 2.69 [95% CI 1.41–5.16]), risk of training injuries (RR = 3.75 [95% CI 1.59–8.83], p = 0.001), risk of competition injuries (RR = 1.79 [95% CI 0.65–4.90], p = 0.25) and overall concussion risk (RR = 10.04 [95% CI 0.91–110.46], p = 0.02) were greater in females. Ten sailors accounted for 17 illnesses. Females had a 3.33 increase in training and competition illnesses (IRR = 3.33 [95% CI 0.94–11.81]). Conclusions: Competition injury incidence was higher than previous reported sailing studies. Knee injuries were most prevalent and direct impacts caused most injuries. Female sailors reported a higher injury and illness incidence. These results may guide injury prevention efforts and the development of an IOC-equivalent consensus statement. Future studies should examine time loss. Full article

This study presents a comprehensive flood frequency analysis for Australia’s Brisbane River basin using annual maximum flood (AMF) data from 26 stream gauging stations. This evaluates five different probability distributions in fitting the AMF data of the selected stations, which are the Lognormal, Log Pearson Type III (LP3), Gumbel, Generalized Extreme Value (GEV), and Generalized Pareto (GP) distributions (the recommended distributions in FLIKE software (School of Civil Engineering, University of Newcastle Australia, Australia, Release_x86_5.0.306.0). Three different goodness-of-fit tests (Chi-Squared, Anderson–Darling, and Kolmogorov–Smirnov) are adopted. This study also examines trends in the observed AMF data using several trend tests. It is found that the LP3 is the best-fit probability distribution at majority of the selected stations, followed by the GP distribution. Although the AMF data at most of the stations show an increasing linear trend, these trends are generally statistically non-significant. Full article

A growing body of scientific literature emphasizes the role of the built environment in shaping commuting behavior among adolescents. However, the comparison of the built environment on adolescents’ route choice remains underexplored. A total of 317 Spanish adolescents participated in the study, of whom 67 adolescents provided a valid GPS-identified walking route between home and school (54.5% girls; mean age = 14.4 ± 0.7 years). Built environment variables—including residential density, number of intersections, land use mix, number of services, number of visible services from the route, street width, walkability, park area, elevation gain, elevation loss, and topographic cost—were measured using 3.28.8 QGIS software. A paired-sample analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the sign test to compare the actual route with the shortest available route. The results showed a deviation of 63.96%. Comparisons between the actual routes and the shortest ones revealed a statistically significant difference in the number of intersections (p = 0.009) and topography cost (p = 0.050). Likewise, a significant trend was found with the residential density (p = 0.080). These findings suggest that in this case study, the built environment plays an important role in adolescents’ decision-making when choosing routes for commuting to school. Some urban planning and design recommendations were given to address the results from a school built-environment-oriented approach. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of human blood contamination, before and after hardening of the materials, on microhardness of high-viscosity Fuji IX GP Extra (Fuji IX) and resin-modified Fuji II LC (Fuji II) glass-ionomer cement (GIC) and glass-hybrid material EQUIA Forte HT (EQUIA), with and without protective coating EQUIA Forte Coat (Coat), before and after thermocycling. Four groups (n = 40): 1. Fuji IX; 2. Fuji II; 3. EQUIA and 4. EQUIA + Coat were further subdivided into 3 subgroups: (1) Control; (2) blood contamination before hardening; (3) blood contamination after hardening, resulting in a total of 12 groups of 10 samples each. Samples were prepared using teflon molds (5 mm × 2 mm). Microhardness was measured using a Vickers microhardness tester before and after thermocycling (10,000 cycles), and data were statistically analyzed (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, ANOVA, Scheffe’s test). In the control groups, the highest microhardness was measured for EQUIA+Coat before thermocycling (70.71 ± 8.79) and after thermocycling (68.6 ± 7.65). Within the groups exposed to blood after hardening, the highest microhardness was recorded in the thermocycled EQUIA+Coat group (73.07 ± 8.85). Blood contamination before hardening negatively affected the microhardness of Fuji II, Fuji IX, and EQUIA+Coat. Exposure to blood after hardening increased the microhardness of Fuji IX and EQUIA, thermocycled Fuji IX and thermocycled EQUIA + Coat samples. Full article

Despite the widespread deployment of inclinometers and GPS, an engineering gap remains for a low-cost, seepage-sensitive landslide early-warning technique. To explore the application of self-potential (SP) in landslide monitoring and early warning, a series of physical simulations were conducted, focusing on slope rainfall and slope cracking conditions. The self-potential signals were monitored using a custom-built STM32-based acquisition system, which provided continuous, real-time data with minimal noise. The relationship between self-potential signals and internal changes within the landslide body was analyzed, revealing that SP signals are highly sensitive to seepage, saturation, and structural changes within the slope. During slope rainfall simulations, the self-potential signals responded rapidly to changes in rainfall intensity, capturing the dynamic nature of seepage and saturation changes. A dynamic early-warning model was developed based on statistical methods, including sliding t-tests/Pettitt mutation tests and Mahalanobis distance test, to detect early signs of landslide instability. The model successfully identified significant changes in SP signals that corresponded to the onset of landslide movement, demonstrating the potential of self-potential for real-time landslide monitoring and early warning. This study highlights the effectiveness of self-potential monitoring in detecting early signs of landslide instability and suggests that SP signals can be a valuable addition to existing landslide monitoring systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most prevalent vestibular disorder encountered in clinical settings and is highly responsive to evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. However, variations in practice patterns among physician specialties can compromise timely diagnosis and effective treatment. Understanding these variations is essential for improving clinical outcomes and standardizing care. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic and treatment practices for BPPV among Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialists, neurologists, general practitioners, and family physicians in Saudi Arabia and to examine how these practices are influenced by clinical experience and patient case exposure. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted between April 2023 and March 2024 at King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia. A total of 413 physicians were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 24.0. Parametric tests, including one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests, were used to assess differences across groups. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Overall, all physician groups exhibited limited adherence to guideline-recommended positional diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers. However, ENT specialists and neurologists demonstrated relatively higher compliance, particularly in performing the Dix–Hallpike test, with 46.97% and 26.79% reporting “always” using the maneuver, respectively (p < 0.001, Cramér’s V = 0.22). Neurologists were the most consistent in conducting oculomotor examinations, with 73.68% reporting routine performance (p < 0.001, Cramér’s V = 0.35). Epley maneuver usage was highest among neurologists (86.36%) and ENT specialists (77.14%) compared to family physicians (50.60%) and GPs (67.50%) (p = 0.044). Physicians with 11–15 years of experience and >50 BPPV case exposures consistently showed a greater use of diagnostic maneuvers, repositioning techniques, and guideline-concordant medication use (betahistine 76.67%; p < 0.001). Continuing medical education (CME) participation and the avoidance of unnecessary imaging were also highest in this group (46.67% and 3.33%, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Significant inter-specialty differences exist in the management of BPPV in Saudi Arabia. Greater clinical experience and higher case exposure are associated with improved adherence to evidence-based practices. Targeted educational interventions are needed, particularly in primary care, to enhance guideline implementation. Full article